10 Things You Didn't Know About IHOP
10 Things You Didn’t Know About IHOP
IHOP, officially known as the International House of Pancakes, is just about impossible not to like. Seriously, the place just wants to sell you lots of creative spins on popular breakfast dishes at reasonable prices, and that formula has been really successful. We bet there are a bunch of things you didn't know about this popular chain, though.
The First Location Is Across the Street From the Oldest Bob’s Big Boy
By sheer coincidence, the first location of IHOP is located right across the street from the oldest-extant location of the once-popular chain Bob's Big Boy, in Toluca Lake, California.
A Co-Founder Was a Prominent Movie Poster Artist
One of the original investors, Albert Kallis, is best known for creating some of the finest movie poster art from the 1950s, mainly for B movies with names like I Was a Teenage Frankenstein, Attack of the Crab Monsters, The Beast with a Million Eyes, and Fire Maidens of Outer Space.
The Original Concept Was to Feature Pancakes From Around the World
The Acronym ‘IHOP’ Didn’t Appear Until 1973
But we have to imagine that people started calling it that much earlier.
The Parent Company Also Owns Applebee’s
In 2007, IHOP Corp. acquired the 3,300-unit Applebee's International, creating the largest full-service restaurant company in the world. The new parent company is called DineEquity.
They Once Sued the International House of Prayer
In 2010, the chain sued the International House of Prayer, the evangelical organization based in Kansas City, for trademark infringement. The lawsuit was dropped and resolved out of court later that year.
They Hold a Yearly National Fundraiser to Benefit Children’s Hospitals
Every year for the past 10 years, the chain has held a National Pancake Day to benefit children's hospitals, primarily the Children's Miracle Network. The benefit raised a record-breaking $3.5 million this year, bringing the grand total of money raised to nearly $20 million.
You Can Get Special Offers Through Their eClub
If you join their eClub, Pancake Revolution, you'll get a free meal on your birthday as well as special offers from time to time.
Their Unhealthiest Menu Item Contains 2,350 Calories
The Classic Skillet (with potatoes topped with peppers, onions, mushrooms, and cheese) topped with chicken-fried steak and sausage gravy, and served with two pancakes and a biscuit, is the unhealthiest item on the IHOP menu. It contains 2,350 calories, 155 grams of fat, 795 milligrams of cholesterol, 5,180 milligrams of sodium, and 51 grams of saturated fat.
IHOP Didn’t Actually Become International Until 2014
Even though the name implied that it was international, the first locations outside of the United States didn't open until 2014, when more than 70 restaurants were franchised in Bahrain, Canada, Dubai, Guatemala, Kuwait, Mexico, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.